If you like Tootsie Pops, you’ll definitely want to know this amazing fun fact about their beloved mascot: Tootsie Roll Industries just revealed that the Tootsie Pop Owl wears a graduation cap because he has a B.A. in hotel management from Rice University.
Wow! Good to finally know what the deal is with the Tootsie Owl’s headwear!
In a press release earlier today, Tootsie Roll Industries clarified that their owl mascot’s graduation cap isn’t a style choice but rather a subtle nod to the fact that he’s a proud alumnus of Houston’s Rice University, having graduated 29th in his class with a bachelor’s degree in Hotel Management. The statement explained that he resided in Duncan College Dormitory his freshman year, spent his sophomore through senior years living in an apartment off-campus with several friends he made in the university’s Anime Club, and that he received significant financial assistance through the G.I. Bill. While the Tootsie Owl was initially disappointed about not being accepted to Cornell University’s hospitality program, his first choice for college, Tootsie Roll Industries says he ultimately had a great experience at Rice University, and that he still roots for the school’s football team to this day.
“We’re ecstatic to finally unveil the rich history behind the Tootsie Owl’s graduation cap, a proud memento of the four best years of his life that he spent studying hospitality at Rice University,” wrote Tootsie Roll Industries in the press release. “Though he ultimately chose not to work in the hotel industry, he remains proud of having earned his B.A. in hotel management, and he treasures the lifelong friendships he made at Rice. During his time in college, he had a serious girlfriend who he dated from his sophomore through senior years. Her name was Hannah. She majored in engineering. We don’t know whether Hannah was an owl or person or some other kind of animal, but it was the first long-term relationship either of them had ever been in. It ended on mutual terms, and was a healthy experience for both of them. Sometimes, when the Tootsie Owl puts his graduation cap on in the morning, he still thinks of her.”
Fascinating! Who could’ve guessed there was so much backstory behind that owl’s hat? Odds are you’ll never look at a Tootsie Pop the same way again now that you know the Tootsie Owl studied hotel management at a quality university and got generally good grades.
